Building on Foundations
Orienting the New Year
As another year of college begins, I’ve been thankful for the opportunity to keep going deeper in my studies.
But before resuming my classes this year, I had the great privilege of serving on the orientation team. This involved helping the first years settle in as they get used to College life. The current first-year cohort is smaller than usual, which helped them connect well. It has also been interesting seeing how this has impacted the culture at Chappo. With many people getting married over the summer break, a whole new mix of people has moved in. Unlike my year group, which took a few months to warm up, the first years have created a new culture, which many of us have been pleased to witness.
Building on Foundations
Like most degrees, the first year is very foundational. But even after one term, I can see how this year is building upon the last. One example is that the language learning we have done is now becoming useful in making exegetical decisions about the biblical text. Because of this, we are now expected to incorporate this learning into our Old and New Testament assignments. It's exciting to be given the tools to do so, but I still feel very out of my depth.
Another highlight this term has been studying early church history. It has been encouraging to see how carefully the early church worked to remain grounded in the apostles’ teaching while navigating rapid growth and major theological challenges. We have recently been learning about Constantine and the events surrounding the Nicene Creed, which helped bring church leaders together to clarify and defend core Christian beliefs. Studying this period has helped me appreciate how much of what the church believes and teaches today was shaped through long and difficult efforts to preserve unity and truth.
Melbourne Mission
More recently, just before Easter, I was in Melbourne with my chaplaincy group for the week on College Mission. We were partnering with an FIEC church in Footscray, along with a new church plant that emerged from it.
Overall, my impressions of West Melbourne are quite similar to those of West Sydney. In both places, due to high housing costs, people are moving further away from the city. However, it seems that Melbourne has fewer resources in terms of church planters, property, and finances to meet the demands of its huge population growth. During the trip, we went to a mosque, and it was concerning to hear how far ahead the Muslims were in planning new schools and mosques. It was striking to see the level of long-term planning and investment taking place.
As a result of the mission, many of us are considering serving in Melbourne after college, something I am also increasingly open to.
The initial reason for choosing the Melbourne mission was to see how another expression of an FIEC church operates. After being reminded of why I love student ministry at the Melbourne Uni AFES group and hearing about the potential to start a new group at the University of Victoria, I'm keen to stay connected with what's going on in this space. The mission trip helped me realise that my experience being part of a newly established uni group in my first year may have equipped me well to help start another group in the future. Although walking around the VicUni campus, it's clear it would be a distinct challenge to Launceston. Some of those challenges include understanding the culture, ministering primarily in a TAFE-style course environment, and navigating a timetable that changes every four weeks.
I’m once again thankful for the blessing of continuing my studies and for becoming more settled as the year goes on. Through both the joys and challenges of life, God continues to remind me of his grace and to encourage me through the people he has placed around me. I’m grateful for this season of preparation for future gospel ministry, and deeply thankful for the many who continue to pray for and support me. Thank you.
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for another year of study and for becoming more settled into college life and community.
- Pray that my studies, particularly in biblical languages, would continue to deepen my understanding of God’s word and prepare me for faithful ministry.
- Give thanks for the encouragement of studying church history and seeing God preserve his church through many challenges.
- Pray for churches and gospel ministry in growing areas of Melbourne, especially for wisdom, workers, resources, and opportunities for church planting.
- Pray for wisdom and discernment as I continue thinking about future ministry possibilities after college.
